Daikokuya

J and I love our sake. We love it cold, in a glass overflowing into a masu...........especially if it's Shichiken brand. Let's just say that we definitely had a little lovefest with the sake two Fridays ago at Z Sushi. It was fun while the party lasted, but the next day we were both seeing spots and laying in the fetal position, making "uuuuuuuuuuggggggggggggg" sounds. Beloved sake, why must you kick our butts so hard?



The root of all evil......the night before, at Z Sushi......

After we managed to stand upright without wanting to run for the bathroom, we decided that the only cure would be a big, hot bowl of ramen. Funny, since J and I have never gone for ramen in Los Angeles. Never. Seems strange, I know, but I guess it just isn't on the top of our list when it comes to Japanese food (sorry Rameniac!). We're usually sushi, soba or donburi people, but ramen sounded like the perfect medicine for our sake-induced hangover. We jumped into the car and headed to Little Tokyo.


Even though it was 3:00 PM, there was still a line outside of Daikokuya. We waited patiently as the scent of ramen wafted through the air. We started getting impatient, however, when we saw about eight people leave the counter at the same time, but there weren't enough waitresses to clean their messes and seat us. We literally stared at the empty spots for 15 minutes before someone finally wiped them down and seated us. That was frustrating, but where else are two hungover people gonna go at 3:30 in the afternoon?! I was starving and couldn't wait to sink my teeth into anything at that point.

Gyoza.....man's perfect food.

We decided to order one plate of gyoza and two Daikokuya ramens. I don't know why gyoza is a common accompaniment to ramen, but it just is. In Japan, you almost always order a small plate of the dumplings with ramen.....kind of like curry and coffee. I've never had the latter myself, but you see "Coffee and Curry" signs all over Japan, as if it's some match made in heaven. Personally, the combo does not appeal to me in the least bit. Gyoza with anything, however, is a match that suits me anytime, anywhere. I LOVE gyoza and couldn't wait to try theirs.



We could see everything being made from our counter seats. Even though the vat of boiling tonkotsu (pork bone) soup was right in front of us, we weren't too hot sitting there. It was nice to watch the guys make fried rice, tontaktsu for the donburi and boil the ramen noodles in the individual colanders. Man, were we getting hungry. Just when we couldn't stand it anymore, our waitress brought our gyoza, and they looked fantastic. Browned and crisp on the outside, the filling wasn't nearly as flavorful as Mom's but it did the trick. We were ready for ramen!



Oh - before we get to the ramen, I must say....there was a family of five sitting at a table behind us. Mom, Dad and three if the biggest little annoying spoiled brat boys I have ever seen in my LIFE! The little rats were bothering EVERYONE in the restaurant- playing with balloons that kept landing in people's food, screaming while stuffing their faces at the same time.....and Mom and Dad just sat there, helpless. I had half the mind to go pull them out of the place by their ears. Seriously- it was so friggin' annoying. Don't you hate it when kids are obviously ruining the dining experience of everyone in the restaurants and the parents just SIT THERE? I should have pulled mom and dad out by their ears. Ugh! Sorry, but when I was comin' up, my parents would have never even allowed us to create such a scene. Honestly- have some respect!

Char sui....world's perfect food......

Ok, nice rant eh? Like I said, I was hungover, but even if I wasn't I would have kicked their little beehinds if it wouldn't land me behind bars. I mean, who wants to be in jail when they're hungover? Ok, back to the ramen. The two steaming bowls finally came, and we dug right in. The noodles were great- nice and slightly chewy. I loved the char sui....I mean, it's pork with pork fat on it...what's not to like, right? The bamboo shoots were also tasty, but the egg was really dry. I realize it's hard to keep the yolk soft when you're making so many bowls of ramen, but it was way overcooked and just broke into a million pieces. The soup, which many Japanese consider to be the most important part of ramen, was good but needed more.......salt. I know it sounds crazy, since most ramen tends to be on the salty side, but I kept resisting the urge to put some soy sauce in my soup. I later found out that J felt the same way. We both finished it all, nonetheless, and did actually feel better. The ice cold oolong tea was the perfect thing to wash it all down with.

Dry egg in ramen........

I think I'll have to try the donburi on my next visit to Daikokuya. Although it hit the hungover spot, I think I need the soup in my ramen to be a bit more flavorful. I have to admit though, I was transported back to Japan while sitting in that little ramen shop. The vintage Japanese signs and calls of "irahshai!" took me back to my days in Tokyo. The service leaves a LOT to be desired (i.e., they move like a herd of TURTLES!) but the food was pretty good.


"Oriental Curry"

Daikokuya
327 E. 1st St., Los Angeles, CA 90012
(213) 626-1680


Mata ne!

Restaurant Review: Cube



What's a girl to do when her boyfriend gives her a gift certificate to Cube? Well, have a ladies' night, of course! "Wait," you say, "what about taking the boyfriend to dinner?" Well, the very nice gift-certificate-giving boyfriend doesn't even live here (he's out in Denver) and insisted she take her friends (insert "AWWWWWWWWWWWWW" here). That's my kind of friend's boyfriend, let me tell you. Especially if said girlfriend invites ME, which she did!

I'd been wanting to try Cube since the feedback on the place seems mostly positive. I also liked that they had a large selection of cheese and charge $0 corkage since they do not serve wine. The three of us went armed with our wine for a 7:00 PM reservation on a Friday night. You have to make reservations since there are only a few tables inside and out in the deli-like space. We opted for an inside table since the traffic on La Brea can get pretty loud. The Cube staff mark your reserved table with a little sign that has your name and the number of your party on it- a cute and personal touch, I thought.

Amuse.......

We sat down and our friendly waitress gave us a small amuse of Myrtlewood cheese, served with pistachios and dried apricots. I've rarely met a cheese I didn't like, and this was no different. The three of us didn't even have to consult each other on what appetizer we would share- the minute we saw the Black Truffle Pizza, our inner voices started talking to each other and demanding we order it. We each decided on different pasta dishes as our main course, uncorked the first of (number that shall remain a secret) bottles of wine and caught up on work, relationships, food, the meaning of life, which soy milk tastes the best and whatever else girls talk about.

Will you marry me?

Ah, Black Truffle Pizza. You sauntered over to our table like the Darth Vader of Pies in your black and cheesy glory. What on earth is there NOT to LOVE about a crisp crust covered with black truffles and topped with oozing, melted cheese? Who needs money when this Sphere of Delight exists in the world (well, I mean I could always use more money but ya know...)? The earthy aroma of truffles wafted through my nose as I took a bite and, dear readers, it was every bit as good as you can possibly imagine. Washed down with wine, it was the perfect way to start (or continue, or end) a meal. I'll be having many more outings with this pizza, I can assure you.

My friend T's potato gnocchi w/ roasted garlic pesto was very garlicky and VERY good. Some people may find the roasted garlic overpowering, but after awhile it became quite addictive, actually. The gnocchi were perfect- chewy and toothsome but tender at the same time. I kept reaching over and nabbing the little nuggets (sorry T!).

Gnocchi

K decided on the lobster ravioli w/ zucchini saffron cream sauce. It was a beautiful dish- bright yellow from the saffron. K was very happy, and I liked it as well, although I must warn you- it isn't for the saffron-faint-at-heart. The herb permeates the entire dish and makes for a lovely sensory experience.

Lobster ravioli

I decided to get the special of duck ragu, but instead of getting it on the gnocchi, I asked to have it on pappardelle instead. The pasta was fine, but I found the ragu a bit disappointing....it was very tomatoey but the flavor was lacking the depth and richness that a slow-cooking ragu usually has. It tasted good.......I guess I was expecting something with a bit more substance. I'm guessing that the thinner ragu would have actually made the perfect accompaniment to the gnocchi, so it serves me right since I decided to tweak my order and not follow what the chef had chosen. Lesson learned!

Pappardelle with duck ragu...

We decided to forego sweets and opted for an assortment of cheeses to finish the meal. We had a manchego, a white cheddar and a goat recommended by the waitress. We all agreed that the goat was our favorite.

Dessert!

Overall, I highly recommend Cube- the food is great, the service is stellar and the $0 corkage seals the deal on any place for me, really. The cozy deli-cafe/like interior is the perfect place to have some wine and catch up with girlfriends.

Leftovers marked so there's no mixup!

Cube
615 N. La Brea Ave
Los Angeles, CA
323-939-1148

Teriyaki Salmon Bowl



Sorry for the lack of posts lately. This whole Anna Nicole debacle has been eating up all of my energy (I work in media) so I haven't had any time to post! I've actually been cooking a good deal since we had a house guest for awhile, but I haven't been so good at taking photos.

I did, however, remember to take them a few nights ago. I had purchased a nice looking slab of salmon from my newly yuppied-out Vons the other day. I normally am not crazy about the seafood from my local Vons since we never had a fish monger and most of the packaged stuff looked brown and old....yuck. After a facelift, my neighborhood Vons now carries all kinds of stuff- oyster mushrooms, mini cauliflower, whole duck and yes- we now have a fish monger. The salmon was from Chile and looked mighty fine, so I picked it up and took it home (well, I mean I paid for it, of course!).

Asparagus

Recently I can't get enough Japanese food, so I decided to make a teriyaki salmon bowl. I was inspired by a post I saw on this blog, and wanted to make a big ol bowl of goodness. After making a batch of my dad's famous teriyaki sauce (7 parts each of soy sauce, mirin & sake + 1 part sugar and sliced garlic) I marinated the salmon (which I had cut into cubes) for about 30 minutes. 5 minutes in the broiler and they were done.

Salmon swimming in marinade....

To build my bowl, I started with farro, then added soybeans, sautéed asparagus, sautéed onions and the salmon. I reduced the marinade until it got thick, drizzled it over everything and finished it all off with sesame seeds and sliced green onions.

Ready for broiler....

I must say- that Chilean salmon was awesome- buttery, rich and not fishy like the salmon of Vons' past. It picked up the teriyaki sauce so well and was a great accompaniment to the farro. The salmon bowl reminded me of some bowls that we'd get at a little Hawaiian joint in Shibuya- except they would always top everything with a fried egg and French fried onions. Maybe I should do that next time.....



Dad's Teriyaki Marinade
I know this sounds simple, but how many times have you had all too sticky and sickly sweet teriyaki?? This is perfect every time, and is great on ANYTHING. We've had it on fish, steak, chicken (especially thighs) and I'm sure it'd be a great marinade for veggies too.

7 parts soy sauce (not low salt)
7 parts mirin
7 parts sake
1 part sugar
thinly sliced garlic

Put everything into a sauce pan and heat until the sugar dissolves and you can smell the garlic. Take off of the stove and let it seep for at least 20 minutes.

If you want to thicken this as a sauce, simply put the marinade in a pot and heat over medium-high heat until it reduces to the desired consistency.

Slather over everything and enjoy!

Potluck Time!

Got together with friends for a pre-Oscar viewing party of sorts. A good time was had by all, and the food was incredible!!! There was no rhyme or reason to the food theme- everyone just brought lots of good eats and it was a great way to consume all different kinds of food. Thanks to everyone- it was fun!

Now- I'll just let the (embarrassingly blurry) photos speak for themselves......

Yummy fried squid....

Noodles w/ shrimp and char sui pork

Grilled peel 'em shrimp


Grilled shrimp skewers with thai curry sauce.....

Beef w/ chimichurri sauce

Boca negra with coconut flakes

Wild mushroom & guyrere tart

Asparagus dynamite

Crisp wontons with pulled pork, blue cheese & pickled red onion

Luscious lamb........

Somen salad

Crostini w/ roasted eggplant spread and parmesan


Rainbow of Pocky

My piggy plate!



Although I failed to take photos , there were even more offerings- KFC hot wings (who DOESN'T love the Colonel!!??), a sweet and toothsome mochi custard and, the show stopper- peanut butter and jellyfish sandwiches which were actually really good. Whoda thunk it? Maybe it'll start showing up in restaurants eh?

Love Me Tender, Love Me Greens...............


Tender Greens. Don't you just love that name? It conjures up all kinds of images in my head. Cuddly romaine, compassionate asparagus, soft-spoken spinach........it just sounds nice and fuzzy. Wait, fuzzy greens would be gross actually, but you get what I mean. Tender Greens just makes me think of good stuff....natural, salt-of-the-earth, ecologically sound, tender......er, greens. The moment I heard the name, I knew I wanted to check it out.

Tender asparagus...........

Unfortunately for me, Tender Greens is on the Westside, and I'm an Eastsider. Not only do I live on the Eastside, but I love the Eastside and rarely go West for meals. Sure, J and I will head out to the beach on a nice day, or drive out to Surfas if we're in need of any kitchen stuff (and to grab a Canelé, the Best Food on Earth), but we don't make the drive for meals....especially meals that involve wine because we don't want any po po's on our tails for having a glass and driving that far. If we do eat out West, it's usually because we're there for another reason and we get hungry.

Tender cauliflower........

A couple of weeks ago we were out by Venice for...uh, I can't remember. But when hunger struck, I squawked "Tender Greens Tender Greens!!! Must try!!! Culver City!!!" at J. Although he brought up other suggestions, I knew I had to take advantage of being on the Westside and try this much-lauded place. I tried not to yack as I googled it on my cell phone (I cannot read and be in a car or I get utterly nauseated) and pointed J in the right direction. I stuck my head out of the car window and chirped, "Tender Greens, Here We Come!" Well, not really but I did stick my head out of the window to get some air after all that cell phone googling.

Tender tomatoes........

Tender strip steak.......

We parked in the adjacent lot and got in line. Tender Greens was a nice, well-lit space with an open kitchen where all of the fresh ingredients were displayed. There is a large menu on the wall at the entrance, and upon studying it carefully, I decided on the Chipotle Barbeque Chicken Salad (romaine hearts, avocado, jack cheese, crispy tortilla strips, creamy lime dressing) while J opted for the Happy Vegan (tabbouleh, hummus, pasta pearls, farro wheat, young kale, tender greens). I had slight remorse since J's sounded SO yummy, but I was quickly distracted by all of the cooks piling fresh ingredients onto the plates in the open kitchen. Or I guess I should say I was distracted by the fresh ingredients that the cooks were piling onto the plates- after all, it wasn't like Adrien Brody was one of the cooks, ya know? Anyway, the line to the register is right along this open kitchen so you can see EVERYTHING.....and man, it all looked so good. Plates piled high with freshly grilled eggplant, thick slabs of ahi tuna being seared with perfect grill marks......I spent the entire 5 minutes in line going back and forth in my head about what to order, even though I had thought I knew what I wanted. Eventually I did stick to my initial choice and picked up our food. J also decided on a small cup of tomato basil soup.

Chipotle barbeque chicken salad...half eaten!

Happy half-eaten vegan!

We sat down and dug in. My salad was good- the romaine hearts were so sweet and, yes, tender. The chicken was moist and there was a nice, light distribution of dressing. J's Happy Vegan, however, was the real winner. A scoop of green hummus sat next to scoops of farro, barley and greens...it was an explosion of tastes and textures. The soup was a bit too acidic and needed something to mellow it out, but the salads were killer. Next time I go, I already know I'm getting the Happy Vegan (although that ahi tuna did look insanely good). Maybe I'll get the Happy Vegan with some ahi on the side....although I guess that would make that the Unhappy Vegan. Hmmm...........

Tender ahi.........

I'd highly recommend Tender Greens for their fresh produce, good flavor combinations and, of course, tenderness.


Tender Greens
9523 Culver Blvd.
Culver City, CA 90232
310 842 8300

Simple dinner: Soba



After what seems like weeks of non-stop eating out, I feel I need to put the brakes on restaurants for a minute (we'll see how long that lasts!) and eat from the earth. Ok, who am I kidding- I don't have a hippie bone in my body but I do know that I should probably try eating lighter in the next couple of weeks. Saturday's bout of warm weather had me freaking out about not being ready for the long summer days that are probably just around the corner. Although my arms love hiding in the warm billowy comfort of my Max Studio poncho, they know they'll have to face the world soon enough and eating six course meals isn't the best way to contribute to the cause.



Luckily for my taste buds, I keep having a strong urge to eat hot soba noodle soup. I've had it twice in the last week, and I could seriously go for some for lunch today. I'm not sure what's brought on this craving for buckwheat noodles swimming around with cabbage, green onions, bean sprouts and egg in hot bonito stock, but it probably does have something to do with all of the rich food I've been eating lately. The Japanese taste buds on my tongue have declared war on butter! Hai-ya!



In additon to being healthy and delicious, soba noodle soup comes together in about 6 minutes. I love TONS of cabbage, onions and green onions in mine but you can add whatever veggie you choose. Just heat up some tsuyu mixed with water, add your veggies in order of cooking time, toss in some soba noodles and then mix in an egg at the very end. Personally, I attack the entire bowl with a good dose of shichimi which adds a nice kick and extra flavor.



It's the best kind of "fast food" there is, and also a great way to use up any leftover veggies in your fridge.